Westminster Advice Services Partnership launches new service
Citizens Advice Westminster, Age UK Westminster, Asylum Aid, Groundwork London and DeafPlus are today delighted to announce the launch of the new Westminster Advice Services Partnership – WASP, funded by Westminster City Council.
WASP partners can help with a wide range of issues including money worries, issues with housing or homelessness, employment, energy bills and energy use, immigration or family matters. Our aim is to improve the lives of people in Westminster.
Partners provide free, confidential and independent information and advice to people living in Westminster (including people who are temporarily resident, placed temporarily by the Council outside of the borough, or those who are homeless with no local connection to anywhere outside of Westminster).
We will support you to access resources you are entitled to and help you navigate online systems, as well as making sure you understand what your responsibilities are. Where we can’t help, we will make sure you are referred or signposted to services who can. We offer a casework service to people who need it most and we can provide advice in community languages.
Westminster City Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Voluntary Sector, Cllr Nafsika Butler-Thalassis said:
“We know that issues such as the rising cost of living or difficulty accessing resources can have a huge impact on a person’s life. That is why we are proud to be funding the new Westminster Advice Services Partnership, which will ensure all of our residents can access free and confidential advice and the support they need. Our partners are incredibly knowledgeable and dedicated to improving the lives of our residents, and I look forward to working with them to create a fairer Westminster for all.”
Our new service includes
- Drop-in Open Access venues across Westminster including our longstanding Advice Shop where you can find support from a range of providers
- Tailored and specialist services for vulnerable people including families, carers, those who are older, disabled or with mental health issues, those who are at risk of homelessness, asylum seekers and refugees
- Green Doctor Home energy support providing practical help in the home to help reduce your energy bills
- Support for Council tenants with debt issues
- The Licensing project which provides advice and representation to individuals and groups responding to licensing applications
- Extended immigration advice
- Workshops and training to help with the cost of living and to understand your rights in housing, immigration run in Westminster libraries and community centres
It is easy to access WASP services
Links to all our services including an online calendar are available on the WASP and Citizens Advice website – WASP – Westminster Advice Services Partnership
You can call Citizens Advice on 0808 278 7834 between 9:15 AM and 4:00 PM every day. Press option 4 to get straight through to the team, or submit an online enquiry here
Age UK Westminster can be contacted on 020 3004 5610, Monday to Friday between 10:00 AM and 2:00PM for more information visit: Welcome to Age UK Westminster
Asylum Aid run a community language helpline on 0207 402 6750, Tuesdays from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM and Wednesdays from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Green Doctors can be contacted on 0300 365 3005, Monday to Friday, between 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM
DeafPLUS can be contacted by emailing advicePLUS@deafplus.org
In person: you can see our outreach activities along with everything else that is happening with WASP services in our calendar here: https://www.westminstercab.org.uk/events/